Hirao - Hirao

A type of sword cord used by nobles. Since the Heian period, it has been used as a cord for carrying a sword in the court robes of military officials. Called an imperial sword cord, civil servants also obtained imperial permission to wear a flat cord with their court robes. It is made of flat braided braided thread or woven fabric about 9 centimeters wide, with tassels on both ends. The regulations of 874 state that those of the 5th rank or higher were called Karakumi, those of the 6th rank or lower were called Kanbata or Shiragigumi. Karakumi is a cord made of a continuous mountain or diamond shape braided into a single unit, Shiragi is a narrow plain weave, and Shiragi is a flat braided cord. From the Kamakura period, it became common to separate the obi from the remaining part of the knot that hung in front, and this was called kiri-hirao, while the traditional single, long obi came to be called tsuzuki-hirao. Purple, haji, ochichi, purple, and navy blue were the colors used for the hirao.

[Takada Yamato]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

公家(くげ)が用いる太刀(たち)の紐(ひも)の一種。平安時代以降、武官の束帯(そくたい)に用いられる太刀を帯びるための緒。勅授帯剣(たいけん)といって、文官も勅許を得てその束帯に平緒で太刀を佩用(はいよう)した。幅約9センチメートルの組糸の平組みの組紐または織物製で、両端が房となっている。貞観(じょうがん)16年（874）の制に、五位以上は唐組(からくみ)、六位以下は綺(かんばた)、新羅組(しらぎぐみ)などとある。唐組は山形または菱(ひし)形を一単位に綟(もじ)り組みとしてそれを連続させた紐、綺は幅の狭い平織、新羅組は平組みの紐である。鎌倉時代からは前に垂らす結び余りの部分と帯とを別にして用いることが多くなり、これを切(きり)平緒とよんで、従来の一筋で長いものを続(つづき)平緒とよぶようになった。平緒には紫緂(むらさきだん)、櫨(はじ)緂、楝(おうち)緂、紫地、紺地などの色が用いられた。

［高田倭男］

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